Pit Barrel Cooker Junior Premier 14 vs Pit Barrel Cooker PBX 22.5
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Quick take: The Pit Barrel Cooker Junior Premier 14 costs $240 less; the Pit Barrel Cooker PBX 22.5 offers more cooking space (22.5 vs 14 sq in).
| Spec | Pit Barrel Cooker Junior Premier 14 | Pit Barrel Cooker PBX 22.5 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ~$360 | ~$600 |
| Rating | 5★ (396) | 4.9★ (380) |
| Type | Charcoal Smoker | Charcoal Smoker |
| Cooking Area | 14 in grate plus 2 hanging rods (4 hooks) | 22.5 in grate plus 3 hanging rods (16 hooks) |
| Max Temp | — | — |
| Fuel Type | Charcoal | Charcoal |
| Build Material | Porcelain-Enameled Steel | Porcelain-Enameled Steel |
| Hopper Capacity | — | — |
| Burners | — | — |
| WiFi / App | No | No |
| App control | No | No |
| Meat probe | No | No |
| PID controller | No | No |
| Side burner | No | No |
| Rotisserie | No | No |
| Searing | No | No |
| Dimensions | 14 in drum diameter | 30 x 30 x 36 in |
| Weight | — | 84.5 lbs (shipping) |
| Warranty | 1 year | 1 year |
Pros & cons
Pit Barrel Cooker Junior Premier 14
- ✓Hanging meat vertically over the coals is a genuinely different cook from a grate — drippings hit the fire and the smoke is heavier than a water smoker's
- ✓Sealed-drum design has no damper to fiddle with: you set the single intake for your altitude once and it holds 275–300°F on its own
- ✓Premier heat shield means it can legally and safely sit on a wood deck, which the older Junior could not
- ✓Ships fully assembled with hooks, rods, charcoal basket, grate, hook tool and two rubs — nothing else to buy
- ✓Half the charcoal load of the 18.5-inch Classic, so short cooks are much cheaper to run
- ✗No damper control by design — it runs hot and fast at 275–300°F, so true 225°F low-and-slow is not what this cooker does
- ✗A full packer brisket over 8–10 lbs will not fit hanging; the 18.5 or the PBX is the one for competition-size cuts
- ✗No built-in thermometer at all — the lid is blank and you supply your own probe
- ✗$360 is a lot of money for a 14-inch drum next to a $289 Weber Smokey Mountain 14 with twice the grate area
- ✗Every product photo on Pit Barrel's own store for this model is AI-generated rather than a real studio shot, which makes it hard to judge fit and finish before buying
Pit Barrel Cooker PBX 22.5
- ✓Four full packer briskets or four turkeys in one load is more capacity than any vertical water smoker near this price
- ✓Three hanging rods instead of two means you can run ribs and butts on separate levels without crowding
- ✓All hanging hooks, rods and racks interchange with the 18.5-inch Classic, so an upgrade does not orphan your accessories
- ✓Same no-damper simplicity as the rest of the line — light the basket, set the intake, close the lid
- ✓Porcelain over steel rather than paint, so it will not burn off around the intake the way painted drums do
- ✗Runs noticeably hot when lightly loaded, which Pit Barrel warns about on the product page — this is not a cooker for a single rack of ribs
- ✗Ash pan, hinged grate and cover from the 18.5 do NOT fit, so three of the common accessories have to be rebought
- ✗84.5 lbs and 30 inches wide: it needs a dedicated spot, and the caster kit is the only way to move it
- ✗$600 puts it against a 22-inch Weber Smokey Mountain at $549 that does hold low temperatures